School Safety

School personnel along with law enforcement and emergency management have been working on school safety for a long time. We have revised and streamlined our policies and procedures to maximize the safest environments possible. As you know, we use codes to alert and secure our buildings. These codes are often communicated to 911, you hear them on scanners, and see them on social media. The codes we use are described as follows:

Code: CODE-IN

CLASSROOM CONTAINMENT PROCEDURE

This code is used when administration deems a situation requires students are kept contained in the classroom, and no immediate danger to students or staff is perceived. This procedure may vary based on individual school sites and situations. During a Code-in, we keep students inside and strictly monitor outside access. In the past, we had issued this code when there was law enforcement activity in the area such as responding to a bank robbery or chasing a fugitive in the area. Normal everyday operating procedures are very similar to a Code-in.

Code: CODE-OUT

This code is used when administration deems a situation requires immediate evacuation of the facility. The code out could be issued for several reasons such as a fire drill or to evacuate the building.

Code: CODE-DOWN

This code is used when administration deems a situation requires students be kept contained in the classroom when possible immediate danger to students or staff is perceived. This code is the most restrictive and puts our school in the tightest mode of security. This code would be used if there was an intruder or there were conditions that threaten the safety of our staff and students.

Safety is our number one priority. We want our children and staff to be safe and to feel safe. As parents and a community, we want you to feel the same about our schools. I can assure you that we will take every step necessary to provide the safest environments possible. We ask that you trust and support our efforts.

When a code-in is issued at a school, please do not call the school as this jams up phone lines and creates a significant distraction while we are doing everything we can to ensure safety. We also exercise these procedures regularly throughout the year as practice drills; please do not be alarmed. We have a team that thoroughly assesses each school at least twice per year.